PROJECT 405: LOST AT SEA, 12min,. USA
Directed by Josie Hull
Aspiring artist Alexia, grieves the loss of a loved one and struggles to finish her painting. The-o, her personal AI assistant, who has little understanding of human emotions, tries everything in his power to feed her longing soul.

https://www.fenderbenderfilms.com/
https://www.instagram.com/fenderbenderfilms/

Get to know actors & creators Marco Labate and Gica Pucca

M: Coming from pretty intense personal journeys, we wanted to work with the idea of fantasy vs. reality, and we chose to use grief as a vehicle. At the end of the day, you can always make the choice to either acknowledge or ignore what you feel, but the latter can lead to confusion, and reality always catches up to you.

G: We liked exploring the concept of artificial intelligence and the modern world, conflicting with art and human emotion.

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CIAO, BELLA, 8min., USA
Directed by William Quinn Dover
In this modern film noir romance, a young stalker can’t seem to get over his ex lover, until finding out the double meaning of "Ciao Bella".

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4oPE1juDqh/?igsh=MXh4anVtMTFrMGM4dA%3D%3D

Get to know the filmmaker:
As much as it sucks to say, I caught somebody I was seeing on a date with another guy. I didn't take it in a bad way though. Seeing that just sparked the idea, I'm glad it happened. I was also watching "A Boy Meets Girl", a french noir movie that is absolutely stunning, and got directly inspired by that.

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OUT OF THE DARK, 3min,. USA
Directed by Alexa Ruggiero, Ashley Carrizo
A screendance film that portrays how certain relationships in ones life can cause turmoil. The process of letting someone go can be freeing while also being an emotional rollercoaster full of sadness, anger, and relief.

Get to know the filmmakers:

Alexa: To tell a story people can relate and connect to. I’ve always been passionate about dance so l loved using movement verse a script to tell that story.

Ashley: I had always wanted to create my own work on film but didn’t know how or where to start. I was associate choreographer last year on another artist’s project. That experience gave me the inspiration to want to create my own work with cameras and sets verse just creating choreography for stage.

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BUTTERFLY'S BAQA, 6min., USA

Directed by Abby London, Mariam-Saba Ahmad

This heart-opening dance film Butterfly’s Baqa invites the viewer to drop into their heart and open to an experience of meaningful beauty. Dancers Mariam-Saba Ahmad and Antonio Samayoa move through a European traditional dance, the waltz, to modern American Pop music, expressing ancient Eastern spiritual concepts. The art and music are created and sung by Mariam-Saba Ahmad specifically for this film, to create a cohesive message, a reminder that there is a purpose to the difficulty we all experience, and that freedom and connection we all search for is within our grasp.

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GHOSTS MOVING FLOWERS AND PHYSICAL MEDIUMSHIP, 60min., UK
Directed by Karl Fallon
This Ghostcircle film by Director Karl Fallon, is a thought provoking documentary about Physical Phenomena never captured before on film. The documentary is captures moments in time about modern day Physical Mediumship with Physical medium Patrick McNamara in which he explains that by providing the necessary conditions with people in a “Psychic Circle”, it will allow spirit entities the opportunity to move flowers in people’s hands. These Psychic or Physical Circles were demonstrated repeatedly and held in independent and reputedly haunted locations around the UK and Ireland. The film explores and captures the phenomena as he discusses the process around the demonstrations. All attendees were unknown to the medium and his team before turning up to see what they would get. The individual independent Psychic Circle sitters actually see and feel amazing phenomenon, and then give witness statements about that they experienced. See the strange and flower moving by the spirit entities with the sitters.

https://www.instagram.com/karl_fallon/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I originally made a TV series called “Ghostcircle” 5 individual Series now, and I have been filming our group of psychic mediums doing some pretty unique and amazing things, so I wanted to showcase some of the best of it from many different episodes. I selected the clips I wanted and put a narrative around it which was done by Patrick McNamara. Patrick explains what is actually going on in the filming from a spiritual or psychic side. It’s quite a complicated, and difficult to process because we never know how it’s going to turn out when we roll the camera, so to speak. The phenomena that we get is related to the conditions that we film in, and it’s affect by such things as the environment and the peoples energy that they bring. The more positive and excited people are, the more we get, and with that excitement there seems to be more energy created. How that all works I don’t know, but you know things are going well because it just feel good and the phenomena starts to happen. Some people don’t believe it, but you can’t argue when a flower moves in their hand and they are gripping it tightly too. So, if they aren’t doing it themselves and you can see that, who or what is doing it? That’s my motivation.

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DISMISSAL TIME, 29min,. USA
Directed by Andre Joseph
When a black high school student in a reputable prep school becomes the victim of a vicious form of cyberbullying, his history teacher makes it her mission to bring those responsible to task when the administration fails to act. Inspired by true events

Get to know the filmmaker:

I experienced racially-motivated bullying as a high school freshman where I was one of the few black students in my class. For years, I tried to suppress the trauma privately even though there were times I was uncomfortable in my skin. When the murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked a national reckoning on race relations in America, I felt motivated to speak about my experience through film and I began to write Dismissal Time that summer inspired by my history.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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MITTI (Discovering Ikigai), 30min., Canada
Directed by Sangita Iyer
Mitti (Discovering Ikigai) is a story of young woman of colour in Canada who chose organic farming as her career choice. Through her story the film highlights the Japanese concept of Ikigai to inspire others, especially youth, to find their passion and purpose in life. The film also highlights environmental and sustainability challenges the world is facing and how ancient cultures considered Mother Earth with gratitude instead of a commodity. The film also attempts to break stereotypes we have about how/what a farmer looks like. The film poster has been conceived and created by at 12 year art enthusiast who seems to have discovered her Ikigai.

http://www.mettlefilms.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mettlefilms

Get to know the filmmaker:

Several reasons actually.
This is one of the topics I am passionate about because culturally I was raised to have a sense of gratitude towards Mother Earth who is considered a life giver, the one who nourishes and sustains us and is worshipped as a Divine Mother. As a mother myself, I believe knowing where our food comes from, learning how to grow our own food and being connected to nature is really important for our future generations because as a society we seem to be getting more and more disconnected from nature. When I formed my production company Mettle Films, it was born with a vision of making films for a cause. Films that are simple, yet thought provoking stories of people, places and things which could also be utilized as a learning resource by schools and parents. I also decided to tell this story to support a local young female farmer, and by showcasing her journey, my hope is to empower others to discover their Ikigai.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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OSING FAITH, 19min., USA
Directed by Allan Wasserman
Gil, the detective who helped capture Richard Ramirez, now in his 70s, reflects on the events from the 80’s to his priest as he now questions his faith. “How could God let this happen?”. Michael J. Gonzales plays both Richard the Killer and Gil the detective.

Get to know Michael J. Gonzales

The director Allan Wasserman had reached out to me about writing and acting in a short about the Night Stalker case. The twist was that he wanted me to play both the Killer and also the detective that helped bring him to justice.

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LOOP (It’s a matter of time), 15min., USA
Directed by Alejandro Pedemonte
Fausto wakes up in the middle of the night, with the news about his father dying. However, he refuses to go to him. Overtaken by his own rage, his decision causes a time loop that will eventually give him the opportunity to face his own forgiveness, loss, and life itself.

https://www.instagram.com/loopshort.film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

My motivation for making this film was the need to acquire experience while writing my feature film. Understanding the language of cinema from the conception of the idea to every step of the process to reach the final product was crucial. Additionally, it was very important for me to understand the artistic direction of actors in a film production, after having worked for many years as a director and producer in theater.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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SHOOTING YOUR OWN SHADOW, 4min., USA
Directed by Joseph J Parisi, Michael Amman
A jaded and delusional assassin rethinks some life choices with her manager, while believing she’s the main character in a 90s style tv show called, “Shooting Your Own Shadow”.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28597286/?ref_=ttawd_ov_i

Get to know filmmaker Joseph J. Parisi:

We’ve been working in the TV/ Film industry for over 17 years and never had the chance to make something that was “ours” and we decided to make something short, sweet and to the point!

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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DERECK FROM HINGE, 7min., USA
Directed by Jeff Rones
Fresh off a breakup, a young millennial tries her luck on a popular dating app with a gen z.

Get to know the filmmaker:
As a single twenty-seven-year-old in 2024, I am no stranger to dating apps. Unfortunately, what dating apps promise is a far cry from what they achieve for the people on them. I wanted to channel my frustration into something relatable. Although studies on the impact of mental health and self-esteem from dating apps are out there, active dialogue on how these apps are affecting the users is few and far between. I hope that my film builds awareness on what we actually seek from swiping away our loneliness. Perhaps the commodification of building connection and romance is not actually in our best interest. My hope is that this film allows the audience to dig deeper and laugh at the ridiculousness that is dating apps.

Another aspect that I wanted to incorporate was the generational gap between millennials and generation z. As someone on the cusp of these generations, I find myself caught in the middle. I might frequently use “puppers” to describe cute dogs like Madison, or find myself caught up on TikTok like Dereck, although maybe not on a first date. There is much humor to be found in this dissonance. I believe there are deep issues that both generations find themselves in, but I know the film can only scrape the surface. These issues include a reckoning with the pervasiveness of social media, a worsening housing market, social isolation of a pandemic, and a rapidly changing climate. I hope that my film can start these conversations between generations to reach some common ground.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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THE NIGHTINGALE, 37min., UK
Directed by Robbi Stevens
Set in London and inspired by real-life events, The Nightingale follows Grace, a second-year university student, on her reckless and dangerous path through the different stages of PTSD. With unflinching honesty, the film explores the lasting impact of sexual assault and the courage it takes to overcome it.

https://raawlondon.org/the-nightingale
https://instagram.com/thenightingalefilm_

Get to know director Robbi Stevens & producer Abbie Elliott:

Robbi: I’ve always wanted to tell stories that asks the audience to contemplate what life is really like for people who have been through injustices like Grace or for anyone who has suffered discrimination. Then around 2019, so many girls and young women I knew were going through different levels of trauma after been sexually assaulted or raped or just having to contend with rape culture. It had become normalised – even decriminalized. It started to feel like an emergency with everyone looking in the other direction and no-one coming to help. Then COVID hit and I sat down and wrote it. It was a call to action! We wanted to shatter the complacency surrounding sexual violence by bringing attention to the lasting impact it has on victims. We refuse to accept a society where violence against women and girls is deemed baseline, and where the burden of preventing assault falls solely on women. Through the raw power of storytelling, we want audiences to witness and truly comprehend the immense struggles victims endure long after the act.

‘The Nightingale’ is not intended to focus on the perpetrator but rather on the strength and resilience of the survivors as they overcome adversity. It is crucial to shift the narrative away from victim-blaming (‘cover your drink, don’t go home alone, stop wearing short skirts) and instead foster a collective responsibility to address this societal problem.

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JUST A GIRL, 19min., UK
Directed by Kieran Freemantle
A girl escapes from a secret government facility and tries to convince a hermit to help her get home.

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DANCING MAN, 23min., USA
Directed by Robert Steven Mack, Clarisse Gamblin
David, a young and quixotic dancer, is confronted with the decision of whether to stay at a Midwestern ballet company with his new love interest Gabrielle or follow a promising choreographer to New York to chase his pipe dream of dancing in Golden Age musicals. Featuring vibrant cinematography, an elegant score by Yi-Chen Chiang, and toe-tapping choreography by Chris Lingner, Dancing Man showcases dancers from IU Ballet Theatre and Indianapolis Ballet in this colorful and bittersweet dramedy about conflicting passions.

https://www.robertstevenmack.com/dancing-man.html
https://instagram.com/dancingmanfilm

Get to know filmmaker Robert Steven Mack:

This film takes an audience inside the ballet world, pays homage to the classic Hollywood musicals we love, yet tells a very personal story about chasing greener pastures and the anxiety we face making life-altering decisions that are ultimately for the better. I have been making dance films since I was a freshman in college. And all my previous works have been leading up to this one.

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ON DEAF EARS, 13min., US
Directed by Ty Hunt
A mother’s worst fear comes true when her special needs daughter’s actions are misunderstood during a routine traffic stop.

https://www.facebook.com/phyllgoodent
https://www.instagram.com/phyllgoodent/

Get to know Portia A. Cosby:
I have a daughter with special needs, and the scenario in the film has always been a concern. What happens if her processing time and level of understanding lags in an intense or critical situation? I decided to finally write about it in 2020 after the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor killings occurred.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1RVbBl-98w

A Korean-born, American-raised K-pop idol working on the release of her solo debut track in Seoul, struggles with the language and cultural differences while dealing with a crazed stalker who’s dangerously obsessed with her.

http://www.adamjayung.com/

Get to know the writer:

On the surface, the screenplay is about a young K-pop idol who’s in the process of debuting her first track as a solo artist while dealing with a crazed stalker. Underneath the surface, it’s really about a girl who’s in search of her place in the world.

The title, “Delulu,” is a term that the K-pop fan community began using to label people they considered to be delusional for believing that they’d be lucky enough to date or befriend their favorite K-pop idols.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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BEACH DAY, 14min., USA
Directed by Robin Johnson
A newlywed unwinds with a solo day at the beach full of peculiar activities.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26492794/?ref_=hm_rvi_tt_i_2
https://www.instagram.com/beachdaythefilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, my partner Casey and I were on the hunt for isolated, outdoor activities. We found ourselves on a beach in Rockaway, NY and discovered an abandoned, graffitied, once-building on one of the smaller beach lots. Shells, rocks, flowers and other items had been arranged carefully and intentionally on the ground, and to me, it looked like a beautiful, hyper-feminine altar. I started wondering what the story was behind this altar – why would someone hide out in this dilapidated building on the beach and perform a sort of ritual? When we came home, I wrote the first draft in about 20 minutes, and Casey encouraged me to keep developing the script and make the film. I’d been a professional actor for about 10 years, and had felt the quiet itch to jump into directing for a long time, and he is a cinematographer, so from there, it came together quite naturally.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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THE TALE OF BILLY O’C, 100min,. Ireland
Directed by Pete Harris
In 1970s rural Ireland, the murderer of an IRA safe house operative, must be stopped before executing his master plan.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550225274205
https://www.instagram.com/the_tale_of_billy_oc/

Get to know the filmmaker:

When I first started coming to Ireland from Australia over eight years ago I was swept up in the romantic mystique of the land and people like most tourists. There’s a magical quality about the place with its music, castles, cosy pubs and dramatic landscapes that just make you want to swing a pint and befriend people. After spending a lot more time here I’ve noticed in myself that I’m starting to take that first impression for granted like the locals do, so I wanted to make this film sooner rather than later to try to capture that original feeling of mystique and warmth in the style of the movie.

This being my debut film, I didn’t want to confuse things with lots of mad action scenes and VFX and just wanted to concentrate on telling a compelling story. Personally, I feel that a lot of modern films have become too much about the spectacle and telling a unique and interesting story still holds a lot of importance for audiences and that can often be overlooked. So, I really tried to strip it back to a story that isn’t predictable, and I wanted to avoid having the audience feel like they’ve seen this story in some form before, by keeping you wondering what’s going to happen next.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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WINTRY MIX, 7min., USA
Directed by Christine Veras

https://labs.utdallas.edu/experimental/wintry-mix/

Interview with musician David Mooney. Animator Philip Martin. director Christine Veras.

Get to know filmmaker Christine Veras

I run an experimental animation lab at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). At an event, I connected with the jazz musician and professor at University of North Texas (UNT) Davy Mooney, and playfully suggested that we should collaborate on an animated piece one day. To my surprise, a few months later (December 2022), he contacted me and said that he would like my lab to animate one of the tracks of his new album. I said yes, and we had around four months to create the animation before the album’s release in early June 2023.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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NOTHING ELSE MATTERS, 22min., Documentary

Directed by Alexandra Nolen

In May of 2022 at just 34 years old, Patrick Behan, the head boys’ basketball coach at St. John's College High School in Washington DC, was diagnosed with ALS. He was given just a year to live. While adjusting to the diagnosis and the devastating effects that comes with it, basketball has become a form of medicine for Patrick, as he looks to win his first championship in the most competitive high school basketball league in the country.

Alexandra Nolen is an Emmy Award Winning director and producer within the Features Unit at ESPN. She joined the unit in 2020 after previously working for the Philadelphia 76ers and NFL Films. While at NFL Films, she won a National Sports Emmy for her work on HBO’s Hard Knocks. Most recently at ESPN, Alexandra won the Gracie Grand Award for Best Sports Feature and also Best Sports Feature for a TV Network by the National Association of Black Journalists.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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